Potter & Potter Auctions
Live Auction

Photography & Ephemera

Sat, Nov 20, 2021 12:00PM EST
Lot 379

[PHYSICAL CULTURE]. Group of 21 photographs of women?s phys...

Estimate: $200 - $300

Bid Increments

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$0 $5
$30 $10
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$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $200
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
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$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000
[PHYSICAL CULTURE]. Group of 21 photographs of women?s physical culture, stretching, and exercise. Circa 1920s. Collection of photographs in which several different female models demonstrate a variety of poses, stretches, and exercises. 6 ? x 8 ??. Daily Mirror stamps and various slugs to versos. An interesting group of images from a period which saw increased public interest in personal fitness and exercise. In some places, this was a response to fears of so-called ?diseases of affluence,? and one series of images here depicts poses intended as a ?corrective? against a ?new disease?caused by overloading the body with furs,? according to the affixed slug. In another series, it is claimed that certain simple exercises, such as holding pairs of scissors in one?s hands and ?snipping the air,? would make one ?attain [the] figure seen in Greek statuary.?